Volfogg

This item was provided by Bluefin Tamashii and is available at Big Bad Toy Store.

The Brave Series is home to many different robot motifs. One of these is the presence of a supporting ninja robot who combines all the coolness of ninjas with all the awesomeness of robots into an awesomely cool package. In the show King of Braves Gaogaigar, the mysterious machine known as Volfogg stealthily worked his way into the series only to become one of the most memorable characters in what is already an outstanding series. He started off in shadows with only the dim light of computer monitors giving us a glimpse of his true form. As the intelligence officer for the 3G organization, he excelled at quietly observing all aspects of his opponents before delivering the final blow. As the show progressed he became the bodyguard of young Mamoru, a child whose innate gifts gave 3G a fighting chance against the devilish Zonders.

While TheEnthusiast already reviewed the Super Robot Chogokin Big Volfogg, I am here to look at the figure depicting Volfogg in his default form. This smaller Super Robot Chogokin stands a little under 4.5 inches tall and has a little bit of metal in his feet and legs.

The toy oozes the sleek 90’s styling of Volfogg’s animated appearance. This figure’s minimalist look is entirely by design as it reflects how he appeared in the show rather how Volfogg’s original toy looked. From the rear you can see the last vestiges of his car mode on his calves and arms. Bandai’s attention to detail remains top notch as all of his wheels can still spin due to how each one is constructed from two pieces of plastic.

The Brave Series is especially known for reworking Kunio Okawara’s more practical designs into dynamic looking characters. Naturally the Super Robot Chogokin figure does not transform as it strives to capture the essence of the design as a humanoid robot.

Volfogg comes with a small of array of personal use accessories and two very large playset type pieces. The two biggest parts being the command chair from the Volfogg’s submarine and one quarter of the Big Order Room. Subsequent Gaogaigar Super Robot Chogokins will come with the remaining parts for the Big Order Room. The way Bandai has divvied up parts of the Big Order Room with the smaller base forms of the other 3G robots is their way of delivering more figures at around the same price. On his own, Volfogg really doesn’t warrant his sixty dollar price tag but the presence of the Big Order Room is meant to show that he is more like another accessory inside a larger accessory pack.

Even though Volfogg is small enough to fit inside a soda can, I find he still has a lot of presence.

This figure perfectly captures the calm and collected nature of Volfogg’s character. He is absolutely loaded with articulation and looks perfectly natural in almost any pose.

With a pair of splayed hands, Volfogg can assume his signature crossed-arms stance.

Every ninja is required to do this. It’s tradition!

When Volfogg needs to look a little more angry, you can swap in an optional head where his mouth is open. Either head can be popped on and off the neck via a ball-joint.

With double-jointed elbows and a joint in both his waist and chest, Volfogg moves smoothly like any ninja should.

A pair of pull-down hip joints let you move Volfogg’s legs very far in either direction. The figure is balanced enough to stand on one foot. His feet and toes have just enough articulation to make sure Volfogg stands firmly on the ground in any position.

Double-jointed knees work in conjunction with his hips to let Volfogg get real low.

He’s almost like a robotic ninja contortionist!

Honestly his articulation is downright…

Obscene!

And yes his head is still off the ground in that picture! The metal in his legs provide a low center of gravity for Volfogg.

Even in a simple kneeling pose, Volfogg’s range of motion gives him such a natural look.

While Volfogg does not come with a stand adapter, any display base with a basic clamp (like a Tamashii Act stage) can handily take Volfogg into the air.

TOH!

Volfogg comes with a pair of hands designed to hold his weapons.

You can either use his decidedly not silver Silver Moon boomerangs.

Or pretend to combine them together to form…

The very golden Silver Cross! This is not a mistake on Bandai’s part as even in the show these weapons are not colored to match their names.

Both the Silver Moons and the Silver Cross just wedge inside the appropriate hand part. You may have to lightly jam them in to make sure they stay put. Otherwise they are nicely detailed and complement Volfogg’s incredible range of motion.

Volfogg’s joints are strong enough to hold even the large Silver Cross in just about any position.

When we first see Volfogg he is shrouded in shadow within the bowels of 3G’s Multi-Dimensional Intelligence Submarine. From there he monitored the activities of his teammates while keeping a close eye on the whereabouts of Zonder monsters. Thanks to this figure’s excellent range of motion, Volfogg can do what every hardworking robot has a right to do…

Sit.

My only complaint with the chair is that because the slope of the seat Volfogg can slide off if you try to move the whole setup. Maybe an optional clamp or a small magnet would have helped out but it’s only a minor issue in the long run. The chair itself is appropriately detailed and looks like the furniture of a large ninja robot.

There’s a quiet majesty to Volfogg and his throne of intelligence gathering.

He’s always watching the latest news to spot new threats to world peace.

Volfogg’s last optional hand carries a can of delicious oil. In the show the robots of 3G would gather in the Big Order Room to discuss battle plans and enjoy a refreshing drink.

Even a stoic ninja needs his bendy straw.

The bottom of Volfogg’s command chair doubles as the core of the Big Order Room. Simply pop the chair off the base and then reattach the circular piece to the included quarter of the Big Order Room.

Even one segment of the whole display is quite large compared to Volfogg. He was one of the smallest of 3G’s robot team so he would normally stand on the platforms his larger comrades would sit on. You can peg the small orange and silver platform into any of the holes in the base. The whole thing is very attractive with lots of molded details and small painted lights one the computer consoles surrounding the middle table.

The platform even has a small extending joint that moves in and out to give each robot maximum comfort and back support.

As a ninja, Volfogg is most at home in the darkness of night.

He stands silently in the shadows…calmly observing the citizens below.

Even ♪ streetlight people ♪ will never know he was even there…

Volfogg together with the Big Order Room strives to be more than a glorified accessory pack. Perhaps without plans for the whole display Bandai would have simply included the smaller Volfogg figure with the Big Volfogg toy. A part of me feels like Volfogg needs to be sold with his two ninja robot partners, Gundober and Gunglue, as they are the ones who merge with him to form Big Volfogg and having the trio would make an excellent display. I like Volfogg enough as a character and this tiny figure of him is still quite excellent. However, I am not sure if casual collectors will go for this set at its suggested retail price. You do need this set if you are going all in on getting the Big Order Room so in the end this is almost more of an investment in a larger display than it is a standalone release. In some ways this is for fans only but I can honestly say the Volfogg figure is still a lot of fun and can be appreciated by anyone who loves robots and ninjas.

Get yours at Big Bad Toy Store courtesy of Bluefin Tamashii.